Rooker hits 29th HR, Bido and 3 relievers combine on 2-hitter as A’s blank Blue Jays 1-0
By IAN HARRISON
The Associated Press
TORONTO — Osvaldo Bido and three relievers combined on a two-hitter, Brent Rooker hit his 29th home run and the Oakland Athletics beat the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 on Saturday for their ninth shutout of the season.
Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled in the first inning, extending his hitting streak to 22 games and matching the longest streak of his career, which he had in 2022. It is the longest active streak in the major leagues.
Guerrero went 1 for 4. He struck out swinging at a 103 mph fastball from right-hander Mason Miller in the ninth with the tying run at first base.
“You’re always a little bit nervous in those situations but Mason, he’s gaining more experience as he goes and you can see the confidence,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said.
All four pitches Miller threw to Guerrero were fastballs measured at 100 mph or faster.
“That’s what you pay to come see, even after two and a half hours of not much going on,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “It was, ‘Here you go, hit my best stuff,’ to our best hitter.”
Bido (3-3) allowed two hits, both singles, and matched his career-high by pitching six innings.
“The command was as good as it has been,” Kotsay said. “One walk, five strikeouts. Just attacking the zone. Great mix.”
It was the longest scoreless outing of Bido’s two-year career.
“All my pitches were working very well,” Bido said through a translator. “I had confidence in all of them today.”
Left-hander Scott Alexander pitched the seventh, righty Tyler Ferguson worked the eighth and Miller finished for his 17th save in 19 chances.
Toronto was blanked for the fifth time. The Blue Jays are 15-20 in one-run games.
Shea Langeliers had four hits for the Athletics, who played a one-run game for the seventh time in their past 14. Oakland went 5-2 in those games, and is 17-19 in one-run outcomes this season.
Rooker drove in the only run in the sixth with a two-out homer off Blue Jays right-hander Yariel Rodríguez.
“That was kind of one of those games where it felt like the first team to score was going to win it just because everybody who took the mound seemed to be throwing really well,” Rooker said.
Rooker’s home run bounced off the top of the wall and back into play, and was initially ruled a double. The call was overturned after a replay review.
“The crew chief really didn’t see the play completely so I had to go out and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to take a look at this,’” Kotsay said. “I think it was three inches far enough to be a homer.”
Rooker’s decisive homer was the only extra-base hit among the 10 hits in the game.
Rodríguez (1-5) allowed one run and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five. The rookie is winless in five starts.
Oakland came in having gone eight games without turning a double play, matching the second-longest streak in team history. The Athletics, who turned two double plays Saturday, had a nine-game stretch without one in April 1981.
Infielder Ernie Clement had the only other Toronto hit, a leadoff single in the second.
ROSTER MOVES
Oakland reinstated OF/1B Seth Brown from the paternity list and optioned INF Armando Alvarez to Triple-A Las Vegas.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays RHP Chris Bassitt (9-10, 3.95 ERA) is scheduled to face his former team in Sunday’s series finale. LHP JP Sears (9-8, 4.35) is scheduled for the Athletics. Bassitt has a 2.31 ERA in five career starts against Oakland.